AMHERST — More than two dozen families make their homes at Butternut Farm, an affordable housing project in the Orchard Valley section of Amherst.
The long-planned project which opened in 2011 after it was delayed by a lawsuit was shepherded through the permitting process by Constance Kruger in her role as a senior planner for the town’s Planning Department.
Now a member of the Select Board, Kruger, 67, was recently given a Housing Hero Award recognizing her advocacy for affordable housing at a ceremony in Devens.
“I was totally thrilled to receive this recognition from Massachusetts Housing Partnership, in part, as recognition for my work starting the two-day annual Housing Institute for local officials,” Kruger said in an email.
While working for the partnership between 2002 and 2010, Kruger coordinated the first five annual Housing Institute conferences that have trained more than 1,000 local officials and volunteers.
Peter Hechenbleikner, interim town manager, said the award is a remarkable recognition for Kruger. “It’s a pretty big deal,” he said.
From 1986 to 2002, Kruger was both a housing planner and senior planner for the town. She set in motion the work to get Butternut Farm built, prior to joining the partnership, where she provided advice and technical assistance across the state as a senior program manager.
In addition, she has been a member of the Planning Board, commissioner and past chairwoman of the Amherst Housing Authority and a Select Board representative to the Amherst Affordable Housing Trust.
She also gave support to the 42-unit Olympia Oaks affordable housing project, endorsed the negotiations for purchase of Echo Village Apartments to preserve the affordability of homes there, and recommended preservation of affordable units at Rolling Green Apartments.
Kruger recently completed almost 20 years serving on the Citizen Housing and Planning Association’s Board, a statewide housing advocacy organization, and remains a member of the state’s Housing Appeals Committee.
In a statement at the conference, Massachusetts Housing Partnership Executive Director Clark Ziegler said of Kruger, “Her devotion to affordable housing in Amherst has helped many families be able to live or remain in town rather than be forced out by rising prices.”